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Derby
'' }} Designed in 1930, the Foth "Derby" was intended as a low-cost alternative to the Leica and Contax cameras that had come on the market. The German-designed Derby was a strut folding viewfinder camera for 127 film rolls, made by Foth from 1931 to about 1940. The Derby sported a cloth focal plane shutter capable of shutter speeds of 1/500th of second. The first versions of the camera had a film gate size of 24 x 36mm (akin to the 35mm format of the Leicas, while all later versions used the full 30 x 40mm format the 127 film format was capable of without a need to change the lens. Identifying your Foth Derby The Foth Derby comes in a bewildering range of variants. In total five discrete types can be distinguished, each with their own sub-types, lens combinations and viewfinder options, augmented by additional variations subject to the market the camera was sold to. The technical and construction details common to all Derby models are: *Cloth focal plane shutter with speed settings of B, 1/25, 1/50, 1/75, 1/100, 1/200, and 1/500. *Leather-covered aluminium body construction, with a strut folding system. *Lens with helical focussing. The dichotomous key provided here provides an avenue at identifying the types.The typology set out in this study was created by observation of a large number of Derby cameras in the author’s collection The cameras were sold both to the continental markets (with distance scales in metres) and to the British and North-American markets (with distance scales in feet). The final incarnation of the camera design is the full aluminium model, the readily identifiable French-made Gallus Derby-Lux (Derlux). Original Model numbers A perusal of the historic literature shows that Foth does not seem to have distinguished between the models with different gate sizes (24x36mm and 30x40mm). A reference in an instruction booklet refers to Derby Type 3 as ‘Modell II’ Directions for using Forth-Derby-Camera 3x4 cm with Focal Plane Shutter up to 1/500 sec. Anastigmatic Lens 1: 3,5 or 1:2,5 Automatic Self Timer. Printed in Germany date,, and a 1936 advert by the German photographic dealer Wauckosin (Frankfurt am Main) refers to a Derby II as the new improved model. Advertisement: “Derby II das neue vervollkommnete Model. Wauckosin & Co. , Frankfurt am Main, Kaiserstraße 50.” On the other hand, a brochure put out by Burleigh Brooks inc (New York, selling the coupled rangefinder version (Derby Type 4) refers to that as the ‘Model II”, while the other (clearly a Type 3) is labelled “Standard Model.” Brochure: Forth Derby Cameras. Standard Model. Model II with American Made coupled range finder. Burleigh Brooks, New York Derby (1930) '' }} '' }} The camera was sold from 1930 (or 1931?) in Germany, and from 1931 in foreign markets, such as France (where it was marketed as the Foth Derby Sport). Catalogue Photo-Plait 1931, p. 59 (price 550 francs). General *127 film but 24 x 36 mm images; *two round red windows on back, windows with brass rim; *film advance knob lacks inscription on top. Dimensions *Length 120 mm; Height 78 mm; Depth (closed) 37 mm; Depth (open) 63 mm; Weight 435 g. Viewfinders *Fold-down Newton Finder type I; *Telescope viewfinder, type I (viewed frame appears rectangular) Lens Options *Foth Anastigmat f3.5/50mm, uncoated, without serial number. Covering *Black and brown leather, the latter ‘De Luxe’ version imitating crocodile, being uncommon. *The leatherette on the lens board is plain Derby 2 (1931–) The Derby 2 changed the film gate from 24 x 36 mm to the full 30 x 40 mm that the 127 format was capable of. This version also introduced the self-timer. The camera was sold from 1932 in foreign markets, such as France (marketed as the Foth Derby Sport). Catalogue Photo-Plait 1932, p. 82 (price 375 francs); 1933, p. 26 (price 390 francs); 1934, pp. 34-35 (price 390 francs); Catalogue Photo-Sport 1933, p. 8 (price 390 francs). The price in Germany was Reichsmark 65. General *127 format, 30 x 40 mm images; *two round red windows on back, windows without rims; *self-timer with small red dot on the lever (black dot on Type 2C. Variants *Variant 2A film advance knob lacks inscription on top; leatherette on the lens board is plain. *Variant 2B film advance knob bears inscription ‘GERMANY,’ pressure plate has a notch on the left and right; leatherette on the lens board is embossed. *Variant 2C film advance knob bears inscription ‘GERMANY,’ pressure plate is straight on the left and right; leatherette on the lens board is embossed. The one version of the Derby 2C seen has a small black dot on the lever of the self-timer. Dimensions *Length 120 mm; Height 78 mm; Depth (closed) 37 mm; Depth (open) 63 mm; Weight 434 g. Viewfinders *Telescope viewfinder type II (viewed frame appears square); Lens Options *Foth Anastigmat f2.5/50mm, uncoated, without serial number (Derby 2A/2.5); *Foth Anastigmat f2.5/50mm, uncoated, with serial number (Derby 2B/2.5); *Foth Anastigmat f3.5/50mm, uncoated, without serial number (Derby 2A/3.5); *Foth Anastigmat f3.5/50mm, uncoated, with serial number (Derby 2B/3.5) Covering *Black and brown leather, the latter ‘De Luxe’ version imitating crocodile, being uncommon. *The leatherette on the lens board is plain (Derby 2A) or embossed (Derby 2B; 2C). Derby 3 (1935–1939?) '' }} '' }} This model was sold from 1935 in Germany, Price in 1936: Reichsmark 48 for the f=3.5 and Reichsmark 60 for the f=2.5 Model. Both the black and the brown models were sold at the same prices (Advert Wauckosin & Co. Frankfurt). and from 1935 also in foreign markets, such as France (marketed as the Foth Derby Sport), Catalogue Photo-Plait 1935, p. 34 (price 380 francs with f3.5 and 510 francs with f2.5 lens); 1936, p. 52 (same prices); Catalogue Photo-Hall May 1935, p. 12 (price 380 francs with f3.5 lens); May 1936, p. 12 (same price).—Catalogue A. Maillard (Paris) March 1934, p. 7 (295 francs with f3.5); March-April 1935,. 7 (290 francs with f3.5). the United Kingdom, A British 1939 catalogue offered the Derby with lens options: Foth f2.5 (£8/10); Foth f3.5 (£6/10); Zeiss Tessar 2.8 (£13) and Zeiss Tessar f3.5 (£11/10). Australia,advertisement The Sydney Morning Herald 10 March 1938, p. col. 3.—advertisement The Argus (Melbourne) 31 May 1938, p. 11. col. 4. and the United States. Distributed by Burleigh Brooks of New York. See advertisements in Popular Photography 1937 (price US$23.75 with f3.5 and US$ 33.50 with f2.5 lens); Sears Catalogue 1938 (price US$19.98 with f3.5); Popular Photography 1939 and Camera Craft January 1939 (price US$21.50 with f3.5 and US$ 27.50 with f2.5 lens). While it was no longer stocked by major French suppliers in 1937, It seems that the camera was no longer stocked by Photo-Plait after 1936, even though two other Foth products, such as the Foth-Mixte and the Foth-Flex, were stocked by the Paris photo supplier (Catalogue Photo-Plait 1936, p. 52). The same end date applies to Photo-Hall (Paris). a British catalogue offered the Derby with Foth Anastigmat f2.5 and f3.5, and with an 'interchangeable mount' that allowed to take a Zeiss Tessar f2.5 or f3.5 and a Dallmeyer 4-inch f5.6 telephoto lensPeeling & van Neck 1937 catalogue, reproduced in Ron Holloway (2009) Foth derby. Photographica World no. 130, p 37.. Meanwhile, in the USA the camera was still advertised in trade magazines in 1940, Popular Photography March 1940, p. 106 (price US$19.50 with f3.5 and US$ 24.50 with f2.5 lens). and in mail order catalogues in 1941. Montgomery Ward 1941 Catalogue, p. 6 (price US$17.95 with f3.5 and US$ 22.95 with f2.5 lens) General *127 format, 30 x 40 mm images; *two green and two red oval windows on back, windows without rims; *self-timer with small red dot at end of lever ) *film advance knob bears inscription ‘GERMANY’ Dimensions *with Foth Anastigmat f2.5/50—Length 120 mm; Height 79 mm; Depth (closed) 41 mm; Depth (open) 65 mm; Weight 460 g. *with Foth Anastigmat f3.5/50—Length 120 mm; Height 79 mm; Depth (closed) 37 mm; Depth (open) 63 mm; Weight 452 g. Viewfinders *Newton viewfinder type II; *Telescope viewfinder type II (viewed frame appears square); *Telescope viewfinder type III (viewed frame appears round). Lens Options *Foth Anastigmat f2.5/50mm, uncoated, without serial number; distance scales in metres or feet (Derby 3A/2.5); *Foth Anastigmat f2.5/50mm, uncoated, with serial number; distance scales in metres or feet (Derby 3B/2.5); *Foth Anastigmat f3.5/50mm, uncoated, without serial number; distance scales in metres or feet (Derby 3A/3.5); *Foth Anastigmat f3.5/50mm, uncoated, with serial number; distance scales in metres or feet (Derby 3B/3.5); *Zeiss Tessar f2.8/50mm (Derby 3C/2.5) *Zeiss Tessar f3.5/50mm (Derby 3C/3.5) *Dallmeyer f5.6/4-inch (Derby 3D) Derby 4 (1936–1940) The camera model was sold as ‘Model II’ in the USA and distributed by Burleigh Brooks, NY. It was advertised as having an ‘American made coupled rangefinder’. Brochure ‘Forth Derby Cameras.’ Burleigh Brooks Inc., 126 West 42nd Street, New York, N.Y General *127 format, 30 x 40 mm images Viewfinders *The aluminium front standard of the standard Forth Derby 3 was replaced with an elongated one to the top of which a rangefinder with attached. The coupling was quite crude and was comprised of an external prong that connected the focussing ring with the rangefinder unit. The small telescope finder that had been mounted centrally in the Forth Derby 3 was taken off and moved to the far right edge of the camera. Dimensions * to be added Lens Options *Foth Anastigmat f2.5/50mm, uncoated, with serial number; *Foth Anastigmat f3.5/50mm, uncoated, without serial number; distance scales in metres or feet; Covering *Black leather. Variants *Removable rangefinder Derby 4a (no yet seen) *Non-removable rangefinder Derby 4b Derby 5 (193??) Made by C.F. Foth & Cie in Paris. Compared to the German-made units, the build-quality of the French Derby 5 and the Gallus Derby is quite coarse, as evidenced by the broad aluminium rims. General *127 format, 30 x 40 mm images; Dimensions *n/a Viewfinders *range finder attached to the bottom of the camera. New focussing wheel on the front standard Lens Options *Foth Anastigmat f3.5/50mm, uncoated, without serial number; distance scales in metres or feet. Covering *Black and leather, the latter ‘De Luxe’ version imitating crocodile, being uncommon. Gallus Derby (1937–) '' }} Manufactured in France by Gallus, probably under license by Foth. General *127 format, 30 x 40 mm images; *Compared to the German-made units, the build-quality of the French Derby 5 and the Gallus Derby is quite coarse, as evidenced by the broad aluminium rims and the greater weight of the camera (almost 10% heavier than the Forth Type 2. Dimensions *Length 123 mm; Height 82 mm; Depth (closed) 41 mm; Depth (open) 66 mm; Weight 473 g. Viewfinders *Telescope viewfinder similar to type II (viewed frame appears square); Lens Options *SOM Berthiot Flor f-3.5/50mm, uncoated, without serial number; distance scales in metres or feet; Covering *Black and leather, the latter ‘De Luxe’ version imitating crocodile, being uncommon. Lenses The various camera models taking 120 roll film of plates use the Foth Doppel Anastigmat F=105mm which was produced in three aperture options: f6.3 (1926-27), f4.9 (1927-34) and f4.5 (1933–37). None of these lenses carry serial numbers. The early models of the Forth Derby and of the Foth-Flex do not carry lens serial numbers either. The first serial numbers occur with the introduction of the second model Foth-Flex as well as the Forth Derby 2B. The observed serial numbers for the Foth-Flex fall into the range of 10,000 to 30,000 (10169 lowest and 26640 highest recorded number). Foth Derby lenses seem to follow-on in the sequence and fall into the range from 35,000 to 87,000 (35,036 lowest and 86,753 highest recorded number). Unlike with the Forth-Flex, where the runs of the f2.5/75 and f3.5/75 lenses seem to be discrete (with numbers over 20,000 reserved for f2.5/75), the f2.5/50 and f3.5/50 lenses mounted on the Derby seem to be part of the same run, apparently with no differentiation in the numbering scheme. Foth Anastigmat f-2.5/50mm The lens exists with and without serial numbers. Both have the same f-stops: 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, 18. The lens was fitted with a focus scale in metres or feet with the following spacing: *Metre-scale: 0.75, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, ∞. *Feet-scale: 2½, 3½, 4, 5, 6, 6¼, 10, 13, 23, 33, ∞. Foth Anastigmat f-3.5/50mm (Berlin Model) The lens exists with and without serial numbers. Both have the same f-stops: 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, 18. The lens was fitted with a focus scale in metres or feet with the following spacing: *Metre-scale: 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 20, ∞. *Feet-scale: 3½, 4, 5, 6, 6¼, 10, 13, 23, 33, 66, ∞. Foth Anastigmat f-3.5/50mm (Paris Model) The Paris-built Anastigmat f-3.5 found use in the Derby 5 with the following f-stops: 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, 18. The lens was fitted with a focus scale in in metres or feet with the following spacing: *Metre-scale: not observed yet, but existence can be inferred. *Feet-scale: 3½, 4, 5, 6, 6¼, 10, 13, 16, 23, 33, 66, ∞. SOM Berthiot Flor f-3.5/50mm The SOM Berthiot Flor found use in the Gallus Derby, with the following f-stops: 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, 18. The lens was fitted with a focus scale in metres with the following spacing: *Metre-scale: 0.75, 1, 1.2, 1.5, 1.75, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, ∞. Gallus Gallix f-3.5/50mm The Gallus Gallix was fitted in the Gallus Derby-Lux. It has the following f-stops: 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12, 18. The lens was fitted with a focus scale in metres with the following spacing: *Metre-scale:1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2,3, 4, 7, 10, ∞. Viewfinder Types Shown below are the various types of viewfinders known for the variants. Notes Links * Derby and Derby II at Sylvain Halgand's www.collection-appareils.fr * Derby timeline at ukcamera Category: German 3x4 viewfinder folding Category: German 3x4 rangefinder folding Category: 1931